Industry
Automotive Industry – Heat Treatment & Climatic Testing for Automotive
From gear hardening to CQI-9 compliance and battery system climatic testing to LV124 — NTH Therm delivers thermal solutions for the entire automotive supply chain.
Heat Treatment and Thermal Testing for Automotive Suppliers
The automotive industry is among the most demanding customers for thermal processes. Transmission components must be precisely hardened, body components stress-relieved, electronic systems qualified under extreme conditions and battery modules conditioned under controlled temperature profiles. NTH Therm provides the complete spectrum — industrial furnaces for heat treatment, climatic test chambers for product qualification and comprehensive service for production operations.
Drivetrain Heat Treatment – Hardening, Tempering, Carburising
The mechanical heart of every vehicle — gearbox, driveshafts, differentials — consists of highly stressed steel parts whose properties are set by targeted heat treatment.
Case hardening (carburising + hardening + tempering) produces the optimal combination for gears and shafts: hard, wear-resistant surface with a tough, impact-resistant core. NTH Therm carburising furnaces operate with endothermic and synthetic atmospheres; NTH Therm quenching units use oil and polymer quenching.
Tempering after hardening sets toughness and ductility. Tempering furnaces with forced-air circulation (ICO series) guarantee tight temperature uniformity — critical for consistent component hardness throughout the entire batch volume.
Normalising and stress relieving of forged and welded blanks before finish machining reduces dimensional deviations and distortion in subsequent cutting operations.
CQI-9 Compliance – Process Qualification and Documentation
The AIAG standard CQI-9 is mandatory for automotive suppliers with heat treatment processes. NTH Therm supports full compliance:
| CQI-9 Requirement | NTH Therm Service |
|---|---|
| Temperature Uniformity Survey (TUS) | Performed at commissioning and periodically |
| System Accuracy Test (SAT) | Thermocouple calibration with DAkkS-traceable certificate |
| Process documentation | Complete batch records, continuous historisation |
| System accuracy class | Testing and documentation per AMS2750 |
| Maintenance history | Documented maintenance contracts |
Climatic Testing for Automotive Electronics and Battery Systems
Control units, sensors, power electronics and high-voltage systems must withstand extreme operating conditions over their entire service life. ACS climatic test chambers (supplied and serviced by NTH Therm) meet all automotive qualification standards:
- LV124 / LV148: Standard for electrical/electronic automotive components
- ISO 16750-4: Environmental loads for automotive components
- AEC-Q100 / AEC-Q101: Automotive semiconductor qualification
- IEC 62660: Lithium-ion cells for traction batteries
Battery and E-Mobility: For qualifying and developing battery cells, modules and systems, controlled temperature profiles are essential — from formation cycling through capacity measurements to accelerated ageing. ACS chambers provide the required temperature precision and uniformity.
Service for Automotive Production Equipment
Production stoppages in the automotive supply chain rapidly generate five-figure costs per hour. NTH Therm maintenance contracts safeguard availability:
- Response time for production stoppage: ≤ 4 hours
- Preventive maintenance at defined intervals
- Spare-parts stocking for critical wear parts
- PLC remote maintenance for fast remote assistance without travel
- Gapless CQI-9-compliant maintenance documentation
Frequently Asked Questions
What does CQI-9 define and which furnaces are compliant?
CQI-9 is the AIAG standard for heat treatment in the automotive supply chain. It defines requirements for temperature uniformity surveys (TUS), system accuracy tests (SAT), process documentation and system accuracy classes. NTH Therm carries out all required qualifications — TUS, SAT, CE acceptance — and configures systems for CQI-9 process classes.
Which automotive components are typically heat treated?
Gears (spur, bevel, planetary), drive and transmission shafts, crankshafts, camshafts, bearing races, steering knuckles, fasteners, springs and brake discs. Depending on the requirement, case hardening, through hardening, induction hardening or nitriding are used.
Which ACS climatic standards apply to automotive electronics?
LV124 and LV148 (BMW/VDA standard for electrical/electronic automotive components), ISO 16750-4 (environmental loads), AEC-Q100/Q101 (semiconductor qualification), IEC 60068. All relevant standards are supported by ACS climatic test chambers.
Does NTH Therm offer maintenance contracts for automotive production equipment?
Yes. For production-critical systems we offer maintenance contracts with guaranteed response times (≤ 4 hours for production stoppages), preventive service intervals and spare-parts stocking. CQI-9 requires documented maintenance history — we maintain this without gaps.